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Excon 2000 to showcase construction equipment

Our Bureau

CHENNAI, Nov. 27

WITH the Centre laying emphasis on infrastructure projects, the construction equipment industry in the country is anticipating a growth in demand for equipment.

The industry, according to some estimates, sold about 6,000 pieces of equipment valued at about Rs 2,000 crore last year, a figure which is expected to grow depending on the pace at which infrastructure projects, especially those in the road and power se ctors, take off.

In this context, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is organising an exhibition and conference - Excon 2000 - in Bangalore from December 12 to 16 on construction equipment.

Excon 2000 has been conceived as a forum to bring together manufacturers and users. It is aimed at providing cost-effective solutions to the infrastructure requirements and will also showcase the latest equipment and technologies for the construction ind ustry, according to CII.

Mr Sarosh J. Ghandy, Managing Director, Telco Construction Equipment Co Ltd and the conference Chairman, and Mr Ravi Uppal, Managing Director, Volvo India Ltd and Chairman, CII-Southern Region (Karnataka), told a press conference here today that CII hope d to make this a regular event and develop it into one of the largest such shows in Asia.

Mr Uppal said the kind of construction practices adopted in the country were not up to date in nature and hence there was a need to catch up with technological developments. There was also a need to use the best equipment and practices to be cost-effecti ve and efficient.

Apart from an exhibition - spread over a total area of 13,000 sq.m. - Excon 2000 would include a conference that would look at technology and financing, said Mr Ghandy.

A number of major international equipment manufacturing companies such as Caterpillar, JCB, Komatsu, Krupp, Nordberg, Scwhing, Svedala, Volvo, and Wirtgen apart from Indian companies such as BEML, L&T, Telcom, Hindustan Motors and Escorts would participa te in the exhibition.

The technical conference would look at the status of the industry, R&D and technology developments, spread of equipment and levels of mechanisation, and the role of Government agencies.

The financial conference would deal with issues such as innovative options in equipment finance, banking options in construction equipment, tax implications in financing, IT as an equipment finance enabler, and customer relationship and customer service.

To a question, Mr Ghandy said that zero duty import of capital goods for the infrastructure industry had not affected equipment manufacturers as it involved only those equipment that were not available here.

Pic.:Mr Ravi Uppal, Managing Director, Volvo India Ltd and Chairman CII-Southern Region (Karnataka) (left), and Mr Sarosh J. Ghandy, Managing Director, Telco Construction Equipment Company Ltd and Chairman, Excon 2000, at a press conference in Chennai on Monday.

Picture by Bijoy Ghosh